Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-04-07


~ brings home forcibly my ghost
whose story will now proceed to
tell.
iss.--sa ssa-z KMoRAMA.s
Kalorama, one of the prettiest sites
around Washington. off the river, was
purchased by the celebrated Joel Bar.
low in the latter part of the eigh.
teenth century and has been held by
that family ever since either in its
direct or collateral branches, until
within a few months past, when it
was purchased by others. Into this
great mansion one of the early heirs
brought his wife, a stately English
lady, who, tradition AYERS, was as
gentle and sweet-tempered a woman
as ever found place in a lovers heart.
With all her feminine qualities, how.
ever, she was woman of iron will,
of stately though winning manners,
and her courage was Of that serene,
highly tempered Norman character
that was equal to any emergency, and
which would meet men or demons
either, with a otsady front that death
might overthrow but not intimidate.
This lady lived long and useful life
and was endeared to high and low alike
by her kindness of heart and readi-
ness Of sympathy. She bore with her
from England sets of jewels that had
for centuries teen heirlooms in her
noble family, around which traditions
Of score of generations fingered.
Her wardrobe was one worthy queen.
They made stuffs in the old days for
wear, not for show, as they do now,
ani the rich silks of the past century
as truly bespoke the gentle.women as
the practice of flying the hawk attest
ed the social dignity of her ancestors
in the thirteenth aud fourteenth GEN.
tnries. The Lady of Kalorama boast
ed among her paraphernalia some of
the finest and heaviest brocades that
were ever wrought in the looms of
Antwerp-perhaps among the first
products of these celebrated looms.
Her laces were foam-like as the froth
of the sea, filmy, fossy, filagreed IA
brics Of gossamer beauty, yellowed
with age, more priceless than diamonds,
chef d'euvres of the Valenciennes
when Valenciennes was the Arcadia
OF lace artists. These laces, and silks
and satlns and gems were the admira-
tion of the country side, and were
coveted far and wide with longing
born of beauty whose sublime inten-
sity made it sinless and exposed the
covetors to no penalty for infractian
Of The Tenth Commandment.
In the course of time the Lady Of
Kalor ma sickened and died, died as
a flower dieth on its stalk, exhausting
its soul away in perfume to the scent
ed atmosphere Before she died, how.
ever, she willed that these priceless
treasures of her wardrobe should be
carefully coffered up and sent to a
lady relative in England as the next
of kin in the unbroken line of great
ladies who had owned them. With
characteristic energy yet with charac-
teristic sweetness and serenity she de-
clAred that if her wishes were not
fulfilled in this respect, or if the boxes
containing the treasures were opened
by any one this side of the Atlantic
she would come from the grave itself
aud stand guard over them with all
the terrors of the tomb To finish as
far as she might in this life her part
Of the work she had all the articles
boxed up, and the boxes placed in the
room adjoining the chamber where she
lay. Then directing that her body
after death, should be robed, not ir
the customary shroud, but in a price
less robe of Antwerp brocade-a dres,
which so well became her stately beau.
ty-the dying lady turned her face tc
the wall aud died.
THE GHOST ON GUARD.
She was robed for the grave in bel
antique laces and her rich brocsdes
Then after several days of mournin,
aud preparation the iron door of ,h,
} tomb swung open to admit the coffin
ed remains of the Lady of Kalorsma
The soft wind sighed requiem as th'
mourners turned away from the gran
, ite vault, locked and double locked tn
. changing doors. and came out into th'
, glad free sunshine, nore glad and fre
after that short but gruesome stay il
the ghastly gloom of the eharnel house